Research Director – Sangath

Sangath is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation committed to improving health across the lifespan by empowering existing community resources to provide appropriate physical, psychological and social therapies. Its primary focus areas include child development, adolescent and youth health, and mental health and chronic disease. Started in 1996, it began as Goa’s first multi-disciplinary child development clinic based in Porvorim through the voluntary contributions of its seven founder-members. Sangath has now stretched its reach to become one of the state’s most influential health NGOs garnering local, national and international recognition.

Contract type: Full-time (100% FTE)

Programme: Mechanistic trial of problem solving and behavioural activation for youth depression (METROPOLIS). This is a study related to student mental health in universities.

Tenure: Four years.

(Performance will be reviewed at the end of each year and the appointment for the subsequent year will be renewed based on satisfactory performance. The position is co-terminus with the project.)

Number of positions: 1

About the position: We are seeking a mid-level or senior researcher with at least 5 years of postgraduate research experience, preferably working on randomised controlled trials, who is committed to conducting high quality mental health research and leading a team of early career researchers in New Delhi, India.

The Research Director will work on an exciting new four-year Wellcome Trust-funded programme (METROPOLIS). Programme partners include King’s College London (UK), Jindal Global University (JGU) (India), Youth for Mental Health (India), and Brighton and Sussex Medical School (United Kingdom). The programme aims to advance understanding about the effectiveness and mechanisms of problem solving (PS) and behavioural activation (BA) when delivered by peer counsellors as early interventions for young people with depression. Both PS and BA have the potential to be used as brief and effective standalone interventions, yet they have rarely been evaluated outside of multi-component packages. We will investigate these active ingredients in India, which is home to 20% of the world’s youth population, focusing on university students from disadvantaged groups in Delhi NCR.

The Research Director will have at least 5 years of postgraduate work experience in research and/or project evaluation, preferably including senior supervisory and training roles, and with experience of randomised controlled trials. The Research Director will report to Dr. Pattie Gonsalves (Sangath Principal Investigator; Director, Youth Mental Health Group (YMHG)) and will be based at Sangath, New Delhi.

Overview of the Role

The Research Director will execute and supervise METROPOLIS research activities including co-design of intervention materials, trial set up and management, participant recruitment, qualitative and quantitative data collection, and data analysis. They will supervise and line manage a team of research coordinators, field-based researchers and data managers.

The post-holder will be provided opportunities for professional development in mental health research methods and leadership building and attendance at relevant national conferences. Post-holders will also be part of Sangath’s Youth Mental Health Group (YMHG), a research group comprising researchers, health workers, social scientists, public engagement specialists, and students. The purpose of YMHG is to enable capacity development and foster collaboration on high-quality evidence-based research related to youth mental health.

Requirements:

Essentials

• Master’s degree in psychology or related field
• At least 5 years of postgraduate work experience leading research and/or project evaluation
• Experience of designing and managing randomised controlled trials
• Experience of supervising and training junior research staff
• Knowledge and experience of participatory research methods
• Demonstrated expertise in successfully designing and carrying out quantitative and qualitative research
• Proficient and knowledgeable in the use of data analysis tools such as RedCap, Stata or SPSS and qualitative tools such as nVivo
• High level of organisation and attention to detail
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines and be persistent, and solve problems as they arise
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and Hindi
• Track record of peer-reviewed academic publications

Desirable 

1. Line management responsibilities

• Providing day-to-day line management and supervision to the Delhi-based research team comprising 6 research coordinators and data managers and offering oversight to an additional team of 6-8 field staff overseeing deadlines and ensuring that the programme progresses according to the agreed timetable
• Leading the research and data management team on preparing data summaries and analysis on a regular basis

Senior management team responsibilities 

• Participating on the programme senior management team providing input on decision-making regarding operational and programme direction for the various research studies included in the programme
• Collaborating with programme co-investigators to set targets for monitoring staff, and ensuring the recording of the METROPOLIS research studies in compliance with project goals
• Coordinating and leading regular programme update meetings, Steering Committee meetings, and staff training activities
• Supporting management of the programme budget and procurement activities

Key research activities

• Leading preparation of study protocols, ethics applications and supporting preparation of research materials such as consent forms
• Developing relationships with partners and stakeholders to further the mission of programme and organisation
• Writing proposals as necessary to fund or initiate research evaluation or special projects
• Ensure data confidentiality by working within the requirements of the General
• Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other regulatory bodies, and attend relevant training to strengthen compliance
• Work according to Good Clinical Practice, and attend relevant training to strengthen compliance
• Participates in training, conferences and special interest groups at Sangath and externally

The above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive, and the post-holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Compensation:  Salary package will be in the range of INR 16-20 lac per year as per applicable grade. The
salary package offered will be commensurate with educational qualifications, work experience and as per applicable Sangath policy. The initial appointment will be made for six months’ probation from the date of joining, with renewal up to one year based on a performance review

The Interested candidates must submit:

1) Cover letter explaining how candidate meets each of the essential criteria/applicable desirable criteria
2) Detailed CV, including bibliography of academic publications
3) Contact details of two professional references

Applications are being accepted till the position is filled.

Applications should be emailed to Alka Singh (alka.singh@sangath.in) with the subject line: “Application for Research Director, Metropolis”.

Please note that only complete applications will be considered